Mr. Romney's Financial Black Hole  —  Paying taxes forthrightly has long been a matter of civic pride for most American politicians, a demonstration of honesty and of a willingness to share in society's burdens.  Since the Watergate era, presidential candidates have released several years of tax returns …

Mitt Romney's Long, Troubled History With the NAACP  —  The GOP presidential candidate is speaking to the nation's oldest civil rights organization on Wednesday.  Here's what you need to know about their relationship.  —  Mitt Romney deserves a bit of credit for his decision to address …

DNA from Sarah Fox Murder Scene Linked to Chain Used in Occupy Wall Street Protest  —  DNA evidence collected from the murder scene of Sarah Fox in 2004 has just been linked to DNA off a chain left behind by Occupy Wall Street protesters at a subway station in March

San Bernardino seeks bankruptcy protection  —  San Bernardino, facing the possibility of missing payroll, becomes California's third city in weeks to authorize a bankruptcy filing.  —  San Bernardino is the third California city to seek bankruptcy protection in recent weeks.

Jesse Jackson Jr. mystery deepens  —  The mystery surrounding Democratic Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. deepened on Tuesday as speculation swirled around the Illinois Democrat's health and political future.  —  Democratic sources say Jackson — who has not been on Capitol Hill since June 10 …

High-powered lesbians launch first-of-its-kind super PAC to champion women's, gay rights  —  SAN FRANCISCO — As a co-owner of the Chicago Cubs, her politically active family's sole Democrat, and a sister with three brothers, Laura Ricketts is comfortable being the odd woman out.

In 2009, Americans paid lowest tax rates in 30 years to federal government  —  Americans paid the lowest tax rates in 30 years to the federal government in 2009, in part because of tax cuts President Obama sought to combat the Great Recession, congressional budget analysts said Tuesday.

Eric Holder vows to aggressively challenge voter ID laws  —  Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Tuesday vowed to be “aggressive” in challenging voting laws that restrict minority rights, using a speech in Texas to make his case on the same day a federal court was considering the legality of the state's new voter ID legislation.

Poll data shows ad strategy is working, super PAC says  —  (CNN) - A major super PAC supporting President Barack Obama's reelection argues in a campaign memorandum released Wednesday that recent polling shows their advertising strategies are working.  —  Priorities USA Action …

Marco Rubio: Obama ‘naive’ about Chavez  —  Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) issued a harsh statement on Wednesday condemning comments that President Barack Obama made about Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as “alarmingly naïve.”  —  In an interview at the White House on Monday …

Closure of Border Patrol stations across four states triggers alarm  —  The Obama administration is moving to shut down nine Border Patrol stations across four states, triggering a backlash from local law enforcement, members of Congress and Border Patrol agents themselves.

Obama the Socialist?  Not Even Close  —  WHEN I was asked to direct “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,” my friends warned me not to go anywhere near it.  —  The story is so American, they argued, that I, an immigrant fresh off the boat, could not do it justice.  They were surprised when I explained why I wanted to make the film.

Bush Speechwriter Gerson Unable to Read Speeches  —  Michael Gerson is a former speechwriter for George W. Bush turned Washington Post columnist, from which perch he has spent the entirety of the Obama administration gleefully predicting a downward spiral into ruin and dysfunction reminiscent of, well, George W. Bush.

Air Conditioning, Blessed Invention  —  Willis Carrier changed the world for the better—though making Washington, D.C. livable in summer doesn't help the cause of limited government.  —  Many people claim to disdain technology, but in last week's deadly heat wave they were probably doing their disdaining in an air-conditioned room.

Crossdressing, Compression and Colliders: The First Photo on the Web  —  The first photographic image ever uploaded to the Web was a Photoshop disaster.  It was created to sell something, and featured attractive women in a come-hither pose.  —  In short, photo-uploading was born …